


The Night Visit

by pikablob



Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Neglect, Episode: s01e04 Reflection, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Martin gets arrested
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24054712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikablob/pseuds/pikablob
Summary: She only planned to drop Molly home, but after discovering how badly she's being neglected Percy can't help stepping in.
Relationships: Molly Blyndeff & Percival "Percy" King
Comments: 21
Kudos: 176





	The Night Visit

Percy couldn’t deny there was a cold feeling in her gut as the police cruiser rolled to a stop at the curb. It had started back at the museum, when three separate attempts to contact Molly’s father had failed and the girl had just sighed and asked for a ride. No child should expect their parents to ignore them, but Molly certainly seemed to. Based on her story, her father had seemingly forgotten her entirely.

Percy switched off the engine and glanced over, past where Molly was sitting idly. Beyond the Blyndeff Toy Emporium was dark, with no lights on anywhere. The whole place was seemingly asleep. She sighed; everything about this felt off.

Wordlessly Molly got up, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door. She stepped out into the cool night air, before hesitating by the open door of the cruiser. She turned back, her gaze meeting Percy’s.

“Thank you very much for driving me,” she said quietly.

“You’re quite welcome,” Percy replied. She reached down, unbuckling her own belt. “But I’m afraid I can’t let you go just yet.”

“What?” Molly seemed to freeze on the spot. “Why not?”

“I cannot let you out of my care without seeing your father.” It wasn’t quite the truth; strictly speaking her duty was only to make sure Molly was safely home, but she wasn’t about to let the girl go without at least some stern words to her father.

“Oh, well, okay?” Molly shrugged. She stepped back, letting the cruiser’s door swing shut, and waited quietly while Percy stepped out of the car and locked it. She nodded, walking over, and Molly stepped up to the emporium door.

She fumbled for a moment in her hoodie’s pockets, before pulling out a heavy keyring with a dozen different keys on it. On autopilot she selected the one for the front door, and went to shove it in, only for the door to swing open at her touch.

“Dad,” she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Percy to hear. The woman frowned, adding another red flag to the growing list in her head.

The toy store beyond was dark. Molly glanced over at the register, her face falling when she saw a large pile of papers and several boxes of new toys waiting beside it, then looked up at Percy. “My dad’s probably upstairs,” she said quietly. “I can go get him if you want?”

“That’s alright,” Percy said firmly, “I’ll come up.” Molly nodded, carefully picking her way to the staircase at the back of the room. She walked up quickly, the stairs creaking under her boots, and Percy briskly followed her up into a long, dark corridor. It seemed her hunch was right; the whole house was asleep.

Molly glanced back at her again, then stepped up to the nearest door and pushed it open. Beyond was a bedroom, as pitch black as the rest of the house, with a double bed pushed against one wall and an old TV on a chest of drawers opposite. The room was a mess; discarded laundry littered the floor, and a pile of pizza boxes teetered beside the door.

On the bed lay a large man with pale skin and blond hair, out cold and snoring loudly. He had a thick beard dotted with colourful star-shapes, a thin line of drool running down into it from the corner of his mouth. He was wearing only a loose-fitting green shirt and some boxers. With an almost frustrated sigh Molly looked over at him, then reached up beside the door frame and flicked the light switch.

Warm yellow light flooded the room, spilling out into the hallway. She stepped towards the bed. The man groaned and sat up, wincing at the sudden light, one arm lazily rising to shield his eyes. He looked down at her, squinting for a moment as his eyes adjusted.

“Molly?” he asked. “What are you doing up here?” He glanced over at the clock, before looking back. “Shouldn’t you be working right now? Your shift started hours ago; where have you been?” There was a twinge in his voice, but it wasn’t concern. To Percy it almost sounded like disappointment.

She hesitated in the doorway, thinking over what he had said. What did he mean by work? Molly stiffened, taking a deep breath, and spoke again.

“Actually,” she said gingerly, “It’s been a really long day; I got caught up in a break-in at the museum and I’ve been doing night-shifts for months and it’s already super late and I’m really tired, so I’m not working tonight. I’m going to go get some rest once-”

“Molly,” he cut her off, reaching out to place one hand on her shoulder. “You know I need you to run the store. Even if there aren’t any customers you’ve still got to restock and clean the place out,” -he yawned, blinking the sleep from his eyes- “You’ll have to work through Saturday as well, to make up for lost business. Oh, and the accounts are due tomorrow, so you’ll be filing those tonight as well.”

She seemed to deflate at the words, taking a half-step back. She took another deep breath, trying to decide what to say. But she didn’t get the chance; Percy had heard enough. She stepped forwards, clearing her throat. Immediately the man’s gaze snapped up to her, giving a blank stare of confusion.

“Oh, uh, hey officer.”

“Sir,” she said briskly, “Your daughter just got back from the museum at eleven at night, after you left her behind and she was involved in a break-in, and you are asking her to work?”

“Yeah?” the man shrugged. “I mean someone’s got to run the store, right? It’s hard work; I get tired just thinking about it.” She felt her blood boil; what kind of parent would force a twelve year old to run a shop alone at night, especially after this? She looked down; Molly was glancing between Percy and her father, uncertain.

“May I talk with you, for a minute?” the woman asked. Molly nodded. Percy walked back into the darkened hallway and the girl followed, glancing back at her clueless father still sitting on the bed before shutting the door behind her. Immediately Percy knelt down, bringing their gazes level. “What did you mean, you’ve been working the night shift for months?” she asked gently.

“I run the store,” Molly admitted. “My dad makes the toys, but it’s up to me to sell them. I can’t work during the day cause I’m at school, so I take the night shift on weekdays instead. It’s a lot of work.”

“What does it entail?”

“Well, I have to serve customers and work the register,” she explained. “Plus I need to clean the isles and restock. And then at the end of the day I tally everything up, order any supplies we’re missing, and when taxes are due I file them. I’m still not great at that.”

“Your father doesn’t help you at all?” Percy questioned. Molly shook her head.

“My sister doesn’t either,” she said, her voice resigned. “I have to walk home most days cause dad forgets and she doesn’t care.”

“And how long has this been going on for?” Percy frowned.

“Just under two years.” Molly looked away. “I’ve been doing it since mom died.”

“Well, it will not be happening any longer,” Percy said firmly. Before Molly could ask what she meant she stood back up, reaching down and thumbing the ‘talk’ button on her radio.

“Hello, Dispatch? This is Detective King. I have a Section 47 in-progress at the Blyndeff Toy Emporium on Sussex Road; I need you to send another officer over and let Miss Roaninish know.”

She didn’t bother waiting for the response. She stepped back up to the door and pushed it open, stepping stony-faced into the bedroom. The man on the bed looked up at her in confusion, head tilting as she approached.

“Martin Blyndeff,” she said bluntly, “You are under arrest for child neglect, child abandonment, and illegal use of underage labour.” She heard a soft gasp from behind her, no doubt from Molly, but she didn’t dare break eye contact with the girl’s waste of a father.

He was too stunned to speak. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and his mouth snapped open and closed as he tried to find something to say.

“Are you going to come quietly?” she asked, already reaching for the cuffs on her belt.

“I-I-” he stammered for a moment, before realising it was futile. He lowered his head, shoulders slumping. “Okay.”

“Then please come with me.” She stepped back to the door; resignedly he followed, keeping his head down as she led him into the hallway. A quick glance down revealed Molly was watching with shock and confusion, not quite believing what she was seeing.

“What’s going on?!” a new voice split the air. Percy looked up to see a newcomer standing in the hallway, staring wide-eyed at the scene. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties; her skin was a lighter shade of brown than Molly’s, her hair a dusty blonde, and she was wearing short pink pajamas. “Where are you taking dad?!”

“Your father is under arrest,” Percy said bluntly, “For mistreating your sister.” The girl seemed to freeze. For a moment she just stood there, still processing what she had heard, before suddenly the realisation seemed to click in her mind and her expression twisted with outrage.

“What the hell do you mean, mistreating?” she spat, hands balling into fists. “Is it a crime to make kids earn their keep now? Is it a crime for her to do her fair share?!”

“Miss, it’s a crime to force a minor to work a full-time job,” Percy said flatly, “And it’s a crime to forget your child and leave her alone in a public place for seven hours. You are on thin ice yourself.”

“Bullshit,” the girl’s gaze snapped down to her sister. “You just wanted to get out of work, didn’t you?! I bet you hid in the museum deliberately! Well news flash; sometimes life isn’t fair and you have to put in some effort, and you can’t just lie to the cops and have them show up when you don’t want to do that!”

“You’re right,” Molly said suddenly. There was quiet conviction in her voice, but Percy could hear the lump in her throat. “Life isn’t fair. But that doesn’t mean I should do all the work for you guys. That’s not life being unfair, that’s you.”

“So what?” her sister rebutted. “What now, then? First mom dies and now you take dad away? What the hell are we supposed to do now?!”

“You might have to work,” Molly sniffed dryly, “For once.” Her sister glanced from her, to Percy, to her father and back, before finally settling on the officer.

“You know what, fine!” she spat. “Take him away! And take her too while you’re at it!” She jabbed a finger at Molly. “I’m not taking care of some lazy brat who thinks she’s above helping out!”

Her final shout seemed to echo up and down the hallway. Finally an uncomfortable silence settled; slowly she backed away, glaring at the group as she went. Percy sighed, looking down at Molly’s trembling form, then turned back to Martin.

“Get moving,” she ordered. Her words seemed to snap him out of his trance, and he staggered down the stairs. She looked back up; Molly stumbled over, almost in a daze, to follow her down.

“I, uh, I…” the girl stammered. She was shivering. Percy shook her head, feeling a pang of sympathy.

“Everything is going to be alright,” she said quietly, hoping to at least offer some reassurance. When Molly didn’t respond she sighed, quickening her pace.

She led Molly and her father out into the glare of a squad car’s headlights. The thing was parked up on the curb next to her cruiser, a heavy-set officer leaning against the driver’s side door. He nodded at the group as they stepped out of the toy shop.

“Detective King.”

“Officer Thompson,” she greeted, before gesturing to Martin. “This is the perpetrator. I need you to take him into the station for me. Don’t be concerned; he’s a mundie.”

“Sure thing,” Thompson drawled, reaching over to open the car’s passenger door. “If you’ll come with me, sir.” Martin still didn’t say anything, ambling over to the car. He looked back sadly one last time at his daughter, then clambered in. Thompson shut the door with a heavy clunk.

“I’ll see you back at the station,” he said to Percy, climbing into the driver’s seat. She nodded, and with a rumble the car started up and pulled away. She watched it go, seeing the tail-lights dwindle and then disappear behind the darkened shape of another building.

She sighed and looked down; Molly was standing close to her side, trembling slightly, tears glistening in her eyes. Without a second thought the woman reached down and enveloped her in her arms, pulling Molly into a tight embrace. Even with her backpack the girl was light, too light; lifting her up took little effort.

Molly reached out and grabbed the front of her uniform, whimpering as she tried in vain not to cry. It was all too much, after everything that she’d been through, she couldn’t help the tears beginning to flow. Percy just held her gently, offering what reassurance she could as the girl cried, until finally Molly was reduced to sniffling quietly.

“What happens now?” Molly asked weakly. Percy hesitated; protocol said she should take the kid back to the station, and have her transferred to a children’s home for the time being. But looking down at the teary-eyed girl cradled in her arms she found herself ruling that out. Molly had been through more than enough already.

“Your father will be remanded in custody until trial,” she explained. “This is an open-and-shut case, and hopefully he will see that and enter a guilty plea so you won’t have to testify.” She took a deep breath. “In the morning we’ll arrange a meeting with Social Services to discuss custody arrangements for you.”

“Lorelai doesn’t want me,” Molly said sadly, looking away.

“You can stay with me,” Percy offered, “Until more suitable accommodation is found. Is that alright?” Molly looked up, blinking in surprise. For a moment she just stared, before a sort of quiet hope seemed to settle in her gaze. Her grip on Percy’s uniform tightened.

“Okay,” she sniffed.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” Percy said gently. “But I’ll endeavour to make sure you’re properly cared for from now on.” Molly just murmured tiredly in response, snuggling against her side. “Are you ready to go home now?” She felt Molly nod.

The girl yawned quietly. She felt warm and safe, being held gently like this, and she could feel her eyelids growing heavy as the weight of the day crashed into her. Percy watched as those green eyes slowly closed, and her face settled into a small contented smile. She felt her heart melt just a little.

Gently she carried Molly over to the cruiser. She shifted one arm under the girl, reaching out with the other to open the passenger door. Carefully she set Molly down in her seat and pulled the seatbelt over her sleeping form, before stepping around and climbing into the driver’s seat. She looked over, and felt a swell of protective warmth.

“Sleep well, sprog,” she said softly. She started the engine, and with a rumble the cruiser pulled away from the curb and away from the darkened front of the Blyndeff Toy Emporium.


End file.
